ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Tuesday said that all 79,000 applicants who submitted their applications to perform the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage under the federal government’s scheme had been “successful” as the December 10 submission deadline expired .
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025, which is divided equally (89,605 each) between government and private schemes.
Last week, the government extended the deadline for submitting Hajj applications for government program slots from December 3 to 10.
Meanwhile, the religious ministry has decided to continue accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis, while a total of 10,605 places remain vacant under the government program.
In a statement, ministry spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt noted that more than 10,000 new applications were received during the one-week extension. He said once the Hajj quota is reached, the ministry will announce the closure of applications.
Umar said the ministry has advised new candidates to ensure that they obtain a computerized receipt from the concerned bank while submitting their application and added that seat allocation will be based on the date and time mentioned on the receipt.
He further said that after the completion of the government quota, the ministry will announce the schedule of the second installment of Hajj dues.
The spokesperson also urged pilgrims to use the Pak Hajj mobile application on their smartphones to stay informed with important instructions including payment schedule, training sessions and flight details.
He said the ministry’s proactive measures were aimed at streamlining the Hajj process and ensuring maximum facilitation for candidates.
Hajj Policy 2025
Around 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under the government scheme next year, at a cost of between Rs 1,075,000 and Rs 1,175,000.
The expected expenditure for Hajj 2025, according to Minister of Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain, would vary between Rs 1,075,000 and Rs 1,175,000.
A pilgrim will have to submit Rs 200,000 along with his Hajj application and deposit Rs 400,000 after being selected through balloting, while the remaining payments will be paid by February 10, 2025.
In case of cancellation, refund of the first installment will be made after a deduction of Rs50,000, while Rs200,000 will be deducted in case of default in payment of the third installment and no refund will be made after February 10, 2025.
Also as part of the current government’s Hajj policy, the compensation for the heirs of the deceased has been increased from 1 million rupees to 2 million rupees.
Additionally, up to 1,000 seats would be allocated to difficult cases and 300 to low-income workers and employees registered with the Employees’ Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) or the Workers’ Welfare Fund.